Hello,

I have a question about how other museums develop paper work for in-kind gifts.  Our organization is both a living history site and a museum.  We define any donation (goods and/or services) that are not artifacts or monetary as a gift-in-kind.  In the past, the organization has used one gift agreement to cover everything from artifacts to a pile of wood intended to be burnt in a wood burning stove.  Eventually they did develop a separate receipt for in-kind donations, but I am not convinced that our current form is necessarily what we need.  What exactly does the donor need from us to receive a tax deduction, and what exactly do we need in our records to document transfer of ownership or receipt of goods and/or services?  Do I need to have a signed receipt for every in-kind donation, or is a thank you letter sufficient?

This is a completely separate issue from gift agreements for artifacts.  These items are services given or goods that are to be used up in programs--not artifacts.  Like the example I gave of lumber to be burned in a wood burning stove.

Thank you for any information you can provide.

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